Civil Society Institute (iFRAP)

History

The iFRAP (Institut Français pour la Recherche sur les Administrations et les Politiques Publiques) was founded in 1985 by Bernard Zimmernalong the lines of U.S. American free market think tanks. In November 2009 iFRAP assumed the legal status of a foundation - »Fondation iFRAP«.

Organizational Structure/ Funding

About 15 people work for the institute/ foundation, about half of them as volunteers.

People

Bernard Zimmern, founder and president of the institute, had been head of Renault's development division for 10 years. Later he worked as inventor and entrepreneur [1]. Zimmer also published the following books: »Les profiteurs de l'État, 2001«, «La dictature des syndicats«

Agnès Verdier-Molinié, the foundation's director. She has been with the institute since 2002 and initially has been responsible for the institute's relations with mass media. In 2008 Verdier-Molinié has been appointed to the CODICE (Conseil pour la Diffusion de la Culture Economique) by the French minister of finance.

Sandrine Gorreri, editor-in-chief for the institute's journal: Société Civile.

Funding

no information provided

Topics

Economy: economic and financial policy

• Reformation of/liberalization of labor legislation
• Reformation of the public hospital system
• Abolishing special educational institutions for civil servants
• Transparency of trade union funding/ der Finanzierung von Gewerkschaften/ repression of trade unions' influence
• Control of public spending/ more fiscal discipline
• Cutting back taxation of companies to encourage investment

Welfare, Health, Old Age Security

• Reformation of the public hospital system

Education

• Abolishing special educational institutions for civil servants

Work Modus and Aims

The institute pursues studies and develops suggestion about how to structure political programs aiming at full employment and economic growth.

The institute pursues its aims by means of contributions to the media, publishing books, via its website and the in-house journal Societé Civile.

The iFRAP state the following as results of its activities:

• the constitution of a committee of the national assembly to evaluate and control of political provisions
• transparency regulations for union funding established by law
• increase of tax deduction on SME profits
• admission of people with private diplomas to management positions in public hospitals